It’s become a tradition for Jews to perform a mitzvah on Christmas Day as a way to help others observe the holiday with family and friends. For many years Congregation Beth Shalom arranged for a variety of places for its members to participate in tikkun olam that day.
Stefanie Williams, Beth Shalom’s director of informal education and youth activities, said over the past few years it had become harder for Beth Shalom to make arrangements for such a December outreach because fewer places were interested in having groups come in to volunteer for that day only.
So this year the Conservative congregation has decided to go a different route with a family-friendly Chanukah Bash. It begins with a Chanukah Bowl-A-Thon at 2:30 p.m. at Ward Parkway Lanes. Dinner will take place at 6 p.m. at Beth Shalom in Goldsmith Hall and then a concert featuring Rick Recht follows at 7 p.m. All members of the Jewish community are invited to participate in any or all activities.
The Bowl-A-Thon
The Chanukah Bowl-A-Thon, which is chaired by Carla Oppenheimer, will benefit Jewish Family Service, Wayside Waifs and United Hebrew Congregation of Joplin, Mo. The entrance fee is $6 per person and the fee covers bowling, shoes and snacks. Participants are asked to obtain sponsors for either a flat fee or per pin (a minimum of 10 cents a pin is required.) Sponsorship forms can be downloaded from Beth Shalom’s website, www.bethshalomkc.org. Sponsors may pay in cash or write checks payable to Beth Shalom. Register either individually or with a team of four to Norm Levitan by Dec. 21 at 913-647-7283 or email . The event will take place from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Oppenheimer is excited about the event and the charities it will benefit. She said the congregation’s social action committee chose these charities for a variety of reasons.
“We’ve always been concerned about Joplin,” she said of the Reform congregation in the city ravaged by a tornado in late May.
“JFS is trying to help out families this time of year to have a happy holiday,” she continued. “While it may be too late to contribute to this year’s Chanukah project, we do know they always need funds to help out at the Jewish holidays. The money can go toward next year’s holiday or give the Passover effort a head start.”
The entire day’s activities, Oppenheimer said, should appeal to all.
“It’s a very family-oriented day where we can all be together and enjoy one another,” she said.
Chanukah dinner
Once again, the entire community is invited to the dinner which is set to begin at 6 p.m. Williams said the menu will be chicken noodle soup, potato latkes and applesauce, plain pasta with margarine, salad bar and sugar cookies. The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for youth. Reservations forms are available on the website (www.bethshalomkc.org) and need to be made by Dec. 14.
“In the past we’ve done kosher Chinese, but that’s gotten expensive. We changed the menu this year to make it more affordable and family friendly,” Williams said.
Williams said that families are also urged to bring their chanukiot with them along with six candles “so we can light them together.”
The concert
Beth Shalom also traditionally sponsored a big concert on Christmas Day, Williams said, but hasn’t done so in about four years. This year the congregation decided to bring it back, featuring the popular Rick Recht. The concert is presented by Beth Shalom and the Herman & Muriel Rose Foundation. It will also be held in Goldsmith Hall and is free.
“The community is invited to the concert,” Williams said. “You don’t have to go to the dinner to go to the concert.”
Recht has performed in Kansas City several times this year, most recently on Nov. 2 for teens who participate in CAJE’s B’Yachad program.
“We decided on Rick Recht because he attracts audiences of all ages. He’s just one of those inclusive, good, kind people,” Williams said.
Following Recht’s Nov. 2 concert, he presented a breakout session to teens interested in song leading. Beth Shalom is inviting those teens to participate in the concert and join him in a few songs.
“Kids attending religious schools in the community are also learning some of his songs so they can participate in the concert as well,” Williams said.
For more information about any or all of these events, contact Williams at 913-647-7269 or Jill Goldstein at 913-647-7281.